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09. 02. 12. - 18:00

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09. 02. 12. - 18:00

Schlecker says Austrian jobs are safe

The son of Schlecker founder Anton Schlecker has claimed that the company has no plans to sell its Austrian affiliate.

Lars Schlecker said in Vienna yesterday (Weds) that Schlecker Austria was doing better than any of the other subsidiary companies of the German drugstore chain. "Austria is our best country. A sale is out of the question," he stressed.

Lars and his sister Meike Schlecker manage the company their father established in 1975. Schlecker announced last month it decided to start controlled bankruptcy proceedings to avoid a sudden collapse. The enterprise runs 7,000 shops in Germany, 930 in Austria and hundreds more in six other countries across Europe.

Schlecker said yesterday the plan was to keep operating with nearly unchanged capacities in Poland, Belgium, Luxembourg and Italy as well – but refused to comment when being asked whether Schlecker Austria could survive on its own if its mother firm went bust.

Schlecker explained the plan was to keep reshaping the image and design of Schlecker Austria branches to let them appear more modern and up to date. He explained that around 30 of the stores in Austria may close down shortly nevertheless.

A new poll by Linz-based public opinion group Imas shows that Schlecker has lost customers in the past three years while Austrian top dog leader Bipa managed to increase its leadership. Bipa is part of German Rewe Group’s Rewe International branch. The company manages 560 Bipa stores all over Austria. Leading supermarket chain Billa, megastore group Merkur and discounter Penny are also affiliated with Rewe International.

DM reportedly managed to get closer to Bipa recently but the Imas check discloses that the firm suffered between 2008 and 2011 as far as customer figures are concerned. Imas said the number of shoppers buying household products and cosmetics at Müller shops was on the rise. However, the German company – which focuses on running large stores – is still fourth in Austria.

Lars Schlecker’s sister dismissed allegations that her family were still wealthy. Meike Schlecker told German media last week: "There is nothing left." The businesswoman added that her family had invested millions of Euros of private assets into the firm in the past few years. Business newspapers are speculating that the Schlecker family may try to stash their assets into accounts and into foundations to protect them from the demands of their firm’s creditors.

In related news, Zielpunkt chief Jan Satek revealed he decided to buy the supermarket chain he has managed since 2010. There are 300 Zielpunkt branches in Austria. Satek said he paid a "seven-digit figure" for the enterprise which has a workforce level of 3,000. The German entrepreneur said he cooperated with two other investors who wished to remain anonymous.

Austrian Times

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